Chien-Ming Wang

Wang made 11 starts with the Nationals down the stretch in 2011 after injuries derailed him back in 2009. His velocity on his sinker isn't what it once was, but he still averaged 90.6 mph last season. He won't strike out more than 4.50 K/9IP, but he still gets groundballs at a 54 percent rate while posting a career-low walk rate (1.88 BB/9IP). Health will be a concern, but Wang will be given a starting spot for 2012. Expect a similar ERA for the season, but durability is a major concern here.

After an offseason filled with reports of Wang being ahead of schedule in his recovery from shoulder surgery, reality threw a big bucket of cold water on that enthusiasm, and Wang ended up not pitching an inning all season. He's as likely to continue his comeback with the Nationals as anybody, but given how long he's been out of action just making it back to the majors might be a best-case scenario.

Wang’s 2009 season was cut short by a shoulder injury that shelved him for good last July. Though he was originally expected to be out until July 2010, reports over the winter indicated that his recovery process was going so well that he could be ready by May 1 or earlier. If that’s true, the Yankees – widely presumed to let him walk – may decide to tender him a contract after all. His injury problems would make him a risk, but he was one of baseball’s most reliable pitchers from 2006 through the first half of 2008 and could wind up being a nice bargain for whatever team lands him.

Wang was well on his way to another strong season atop the Yankees' rotation before getting derailed by a Lisfranc injury in late June. That ailment ultimately ended his season, taking a toll on the team's rotation depth since Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness of their own. For the second straight season, Wang improved his strikeout rate (5.12 K/9IP), even though that has come at the expense of an uptick in walks (3.32 BB/9IP). He's expected to be ready in time for the start of spring training, and Wang should benefit from sliding down in the rotation following the Yankees' addition of CC Sabathia over winter. Regardless of where he's at in the rotation, you can expect him to be a good source of wins and ERA, even if he doesn't miss an overwhelming number of bats.

For the second straight season, Wang was the staff ace for the Yankees, although he wasn't a candidate for the AL Cy Young award despite improvements in strikeout rate and contact rate with a nearly identical BABIP mark (.293) from the previous season. He'll enter 2008 as the Yankees' ace, and so long as he has a healthy infield defense behind him, he should be among the AL leaders in wins with good peripherals, while another improvement in strikeouts would stand to improve his fantasy value.

Wang was a major surprise for the Yankees in 2006 and became a legitimate Cy Young candidate by season's end. He's never going to overpower hitters or pile up impressive strikeout numbers, but like any decent starting pitcher in the Bronx, he'll get plenty of run support, so the wins will come. His consistently high groundball/flyball ratio (2.7 last year) lessens the blow from the lack of strikeouts, but pitchers with such low strikeout rates operate on such a thin margin for error. He'll still be valuable, but expect a little backslide in terms of ERA.

Wang showed good stuff and even better poise after his promotion to the Bronx early last year. He was, in fact, the Yankees' most consistent starter before going down with a shoulder injury and rebounded well late in the year. He's fully healthy going into 2006 and could win his share of games despite a low strikeout rate given the strong lineup behind him.

Wang established himself as a top prospect after a late-season promotion to Columbus, pitching two complete games in five starts with excellent control. He could end up either as an injury fill-in to the Yankees rotation or, more likely, as excellent trade bait. He's not far from major league-ready.

Injuries have been a constant for Wang, who hasn't been able to make it unscathed through a full season. Last year he was felled by a blister on his pitching thumb, and he also missed the 2001 season with a shoulder injury. Still, Wang's stuff is electric, featuring a 95-mph fastball, and hard-breaking sliders and splitters. That's enough to make him a hot name in the Yankee organization.

Wang, 22, was 6-1 with a 1.72 ERA at Staten Island, then went 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA in the playoffs as his team won the New York-Penn League. He'll start off 2003 in Class A ball.